Couple Buys an RV and Never Even Made It off the Lot, Here's What We Can Learn It All

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Photo: Black Series

Buying a new RV, motorhome, or travel trailer is no easy task. Aside from the countless manufacturers that exist, each one has a near-infinite lineup of machines and layouts to choose from. Oh, and once you've found your dream unit, you then have to go through all the research and steps of checking the unit and ensuring it's in tip-top shape.

Well, Dave and Valerie went through most of the steps necessary to ensure a smooth transition toward the mobile-living lifestyle, and because of this, they got hit with a defunct HQ19 from Black Series, a manufacturer whose work I've covered on several occasions. Let's take a closer look at what happened and see if we can learn something from other's mistakes.

Now, Dave and Valerie are not new to the RV or travel trailer game, having owned seven units prior to the HQ19, so we can clearly say they're veterans and should know what to expect. Better yet, they should have been aware of the steps necessary to ensure a happy buyer and a happy dealership.

So, upon doing a tad of research and finding the right unit for them, the HQ19, they decided to head down to Tyler, Texas, and check out their dream unit at a Blue Compass dealership, a distributor with a long-standing name and countless locations across the US. According to their LinkedIn account, 106 locations can be found nationwide.

Standing face to face with the unit they felt they could retire in, Dave and Valerie skipped one important step in the RV buying process: carrying out a thorough inspection. Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is a no-no, and all RV owners and potential buyers know that this step is crucial when acquiring an RV.

With papers signed and $53K drawn in monthly payments, the couple headed out to the lot once again to hook this baby up and drive off into the proverbial sunset. Well, that moment never came. Upon closer inspection, the first problems that arose were a dented door and scratched window, faded mirror, and even missing safety chain shackles. Did I mention the missing jack foot and tires from 2019? This was a 2024 unit, so the couple had to dive deeper.

At this stage, cobwebs were found in cabinets, streaks of sealant on the exterior skin, problems with the paint job, and a plethora of other issues. This unit wasn't going anywhere, and Dave and Valerie seemed highly keen on this unit.

Naturally, things didn't end there, either. It was then time for the dealership to step in, and in doing so, even more problems arose. The most important one was a buggy electrical system, so clearly, this unit wasn't going anymore. Oh, and regarding the question of whether or not this unit was a demo, the answer was that "It's never been titled." Hmm.

Now, I'll skip through some of the discussions that followed, but once a thorough inspection was carried out by Blue Compass, a list of over 40 different issues was found with the HQ19. Some of the more important ones were things like peeling paint, rusted brakes and frame, and a favorite (ironic) among RVers, you guessed it: a bent frame! The latter is an issue often encountered among larger RVs and travel trailers, but it can happen to smaller units, too; the HQ19 is 25 ft long. Bummed out about the problems but looking for a solution, Dave and Valerie just wanted the dealership to fix the unit so they could get on with their lives.

Once communication channels were established between the dealership and Black Series, it was time to wait for it to be fixed, and since parts for the HQ lineup are acquired from countries across the entire globe, including China, it's going to take a while for shipping to come through.

Well, when this story was released by Liz Amazing on YouTube, it had been eight weeks, and this HQ19 was still in the dealership lot waiting to be fixed and released. But is it going to feel like a new camper when it's finally finished? It doesn't look like it so it was time to take action.

Seeing no end in sight for their camper ordeal, Dave and Valerie started to ask if they could simply get their hands on another unit. The answer was "No," and this is where Liz Amazing comes in. With her influence and contacts in the RV industry, Liz was able to get ahold of Blue Compass executives, who took things into their own hands and offered a completed buyback for this couple's travel trailer. I guess all's well that ends well.

Feel free to comment about your own RV experiences, good or bad.